Bugging  Moze
by HannaDoo
Summary: Fic set in high school, by the time the guys are 17. Moze throws a sleepover party just for girls. Cookie and Ned wanna know a bit more than they are allowed to. MozeLoomer centric. I don't own the characters, blah, blah, blah. Plz, review!
1. Chapter 1

Ned tried unsuccessfully to start the connection with Moze's house.

"_Could you remind me why on earth are we doing this? I mean, it's SPYING!! On our best friend and our girlfriends, to make it worse__!"_

Cookie took an impatient breath:

"_Spying is such an ugly word! It's more like... protecting them from anything that could happen."_

"_In a sleepover at Moze's place?"_ Ned raised an eyebrow to his friend.

"_Well, they are alone and burglars could break into the house, we would go and save them and be the heroic boyfriends who deserve infinite kissing and cuddling and..."_ Cookie said with a dreamy glint in his eyes.

"_AND they'd inmediately know we were spying on them and Suzie would like... kill me or something!"_

"_We could say we were going for a walk nearby and we heard some noise and..." _Cookie looked at his friend's terrified expression_. "C'mon, Ned, we're not getting caught! The model of microwebcam we are using is so professional only NASA and me can use it properly."_

Ned covered his face with his hands.

"_Great! We ARE getting caught and on top of that, we won't be able to listen or see anything. I knew I should've stopped listening to your ideas after the Cookie superhero incident but no... here we are again."_ He got up and walked towards the door_. "I'm leaving, Cookie, I think I cannot... I cannot do this, I'm sure we'll get caught and everything. Good luck and may the force be with you"_ He said with the straightest of faces.

"_Ned... before you leave..." _

"_Huh?"_

"_We are in YOUR house."_ Cookie smiled triumphantly. _"And you know you wanted this as much as I did. It's a girls sleepover. The things that we'll be talked about have NEVER been heard by anyone. It's probably a step back for humanity, but a big step forward for highschool boys."_

Ned went back to his seat and started to consider the possibilities:

"_They could talk 'bout us. They WILL talk about us, we are their boyfriends and girls in sleepovers talk about their boyfriends, don't they?"_

Cookie went on:

"_They could even talk about the S word" _

"_The S word?" _Ned looked puzzled.

Cookie lowered his voice to an almost inaudible tone:

"_You know, the S – E – X word"_

"_The S word? It doesn't look like Liza will have to say much bout that one!" _Ned teased

"_Ned?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You're whispering too!"_

Both friend rolled their eyes laughing as Cookie started touching the controls.

"_Don't worry, Ned. This is only a trial. We'll make sure the appliance is working correctly, we'll watch something on TV and everything will be ready for the girls' party. It won't start till 8.00."_

Suddenly, a buzzling sound started to come from one of the loudspeakers. Cookie quickly caught the signal and got something audible. What they heard froze them to their seats. It was Moze's voice, with a sway they'd never heard before:

"_Just there... No, no, little bit lower in my neck, honey. Oh, THERE!" _

The sound of kisses and the occasional soft moan followed and Cookie and Ned looked at each other increduously. Cookie was the first to break the silence:

"_Looks like someone __didn't pay enough attention when Suzie said what time the party started. And looks like it was a... DIFFERENT kind of party."_ He grinned to his friend.

"_Oh, God. I thought this kind of thing only happened in porn films."_ Cookie looked at him just about to start laughing his head off. _"Not that I watch them, or anything. I DON'T! Well, just stop looking at me and make the video work. C'mon Cookie, make the freaking thing work NOW!"_

Cookie went inmediately to business. In fact, he had all the time in the world to mock his friend about his newly discovered X hobby, but they seriously needed to get that camera working. A blurred image appared in the screen and little by little it became clearer.

They looked open-mouthed at each other. Ned put into words what they were both thinking:

"_OK, now, we've messed up. Like messed up big time. If he ever, EVER, knows about this..."_

Cookie went on:

"_We are dead. Deceased. Six feet under. We kick the bucked. Murdered. We'll get ourselves a death notice."_

They started sweating with their eyes still locked to the screen. They didn't dare touch a thing just in case something moved in the device installed in Moze's living room and they got caught. They could barely breathe, that said pretty much all. Anyway, the couple in question looked busy enough not to start searching for some new little paperweight in the bookshelf. They prayed silently for him to leave as soon as posible while Moze's new boyfriend caressed the small of her back and smothered her in kisses.

_- __"I should really get back to algebra, I'm having problems with exercise 10. Been stuck there for a while and..."_ He interrumpted her with a kiss and then spoke:

_- __"It's like number 3. The one Miss Green explained in class"_

Moze raised an eyebrow in doubt.

_- __"But it looks different."_

_- __"It LOOKS different, but it's the same thing. Just read them both again and you'll see number 10 is only tricky, not difficult at all."_

Moze spend some minutes checking on her algebra book and finally smiled.

_- __"You're right"._

_- __"Always am." _He said grinning at her.

She punched him in the arm and laughed before putting and affected voice:

_- __"Oh, what would I do without my handsome, strong and, oh, so intelligent Billy Loomer?"_

He hugged Moze towards himself and placed a kiss on top of her head:

_- __"You'd be all bored hanging out with Nerd and Biscuit."_

She punched him in the arm again:

_- "Ouch!"_

- _"You deserved that one. And it's Ned and Cookie. You shouln't laugh at them, they're my friends and, and... you just do this because you like to see me angry, right?"_, she said with an indignant look in her eyes.

_- "__Guilty as charged!"_ He laughed_. "You're just hilarius when you're mad at me and there's always this cute little line in your forehead."_

Moze touched her forehead and inmediately felt stupid as he smiled widely.

"_And remember, Mr Big Bad Billy Loomer, that I know about Crony's, how could I say it, erm.. little sewing secret."_

He still had a smirk on his face when he told her:

"_Well, a man has to know a bit of everything."_

"_You mean you also know how to sew?"_ She teased

"_I mean what you don't know about me is more than what you think you know about me."_ Loomer winked at her and continued_. "Seriously, I think I should get going. You've got this little party just for girls to get ready for."_

Moze looked at her watch:

"_Oh, God! It's already 7.30 and I still have to change, make popcorn and... Can the hostess to a party be late to said party?"_

Ned turned his gaze to Cookie while Moze said goodbye to Loomer. He found his friend strangely buried in a couple of books and a notebook in which he wrote hurriedly.

"_Cookie, have you heard that? Can you believe it?"_

"_Of course. Loomer is a genious in algebra. It took me two hours to reach a solution I wasn't even sure of and now he comes in two minutes and solves the whole thing..."_ he snapped his fingers.

Ned rolled his eyes:

_- "No, I was referring to, you know, bout us and"_ he realised Cookie was still writing furiously on his notebook_. "Oh, you... BISCUIT!!!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Moze paced up and down the room with two bags of popcorn in one hand and what looked like her whole DVD collection in the other.

"_What do I do first? What do I do first? C'mon Moze, you can do it. You're an organised girl, you need to get going and have everything ready before the girls..."_

When the doorbell rang in that same moment, she was so surprised one of the popcorn bags flew from her hands to the floor, spreading its content everywhere. Ned and Cookie couldn't help sniggering while watching it on screen.

"_Fine, now I have something to do first of all."_

A voice on the other side of her door woke her up from her ramblings.

_- "Moze? You in there"? Suzie asked_

_- "Coming!!!" Moze hurried to the entrance._

Lisa and Suzie greeted their friend and entered the room.

"_I'm so glad you invited us tonight! We need to do this kind of thing more often, you know, being our last year a__t high school and all. Your house is so..."_ Lisa stopped the moment she looked to the right and discovered the popcorn disaster _"... eerm, full of life..."_ The three friends giggled.

"_Long story! Anyway, my room is upstairs, first door on the right. You can leave your things there. Make yourselves at home while I clean this mess__!"_

Later that night, Ned and Cookie yawned in front of the screen.

"_They'll talk about us, they'll talk about us and the S word"_ Ned said imitating Cookie's voice_. "I can't believe we've wasted over two hours watching the girls watch a soap and X-men 1"._

"_Well, it's not like I could foresee they were gonna be this boring."_ Cookie answered. _"And I can't believe Lisa watches this kind of thing with them, but together we can only go to stupid girly movies. She'd always told me she considered action movies, and I quote 'stupid male attempts to sublimate personal frustrations through fake amputations and lots of ketchup'."_

"_I guess that does not apply to any case in which Hugh Jackman shows some flesh."_

Both guys sighed and were just about to turn off the tv and go to sleep when the girls started talking.

"_Oh, my God! __James Marsden is like SO HOT!!!"_ Suzie said excitedly, while Ned rolled his eyes in the other side of the screen.

Moze disagreed with her.

"_Nah, Hugh Jackman's SO MUCH better in this movie. Like so strong, so brave... so manly."_

"_Well, some girls just have a thing for that badass attitude"_ Suzie stuck her tongue out half giggling, while Lisa collapsed in laughter and Moze, slightly flushed, joined them.

The night went on with a karaoke session in which the girls demonstrated they had many good qualities, but a good voice was just not one of them. Ned and Cookie thought at least it was funny to see them playing the fool. When they were again ready to give up, Suzie proposed something that kept their fingers crossed in the hope Moze and Lisa would accept it.

"_Last week we played this game at my cousin's birthday. It's like truth or dare, but there is no dare. Every girl has her turn to ask someone something she wants to know. The person who is asked has only two options: telling the truth, or saying 'I don't wanna answer', in which case she would lose her turn to ask in that round. What do you think?"_

Lisa agreed enthusiastically and Moze gave in hesitantly.

At that very moment, in Ned's room:

"_I can only say: I told you!! Told you, told you, told you!!!! Everybody knows girls like playing these things in their parties. Who is the boss?"_

"_Allright, Cookie, YOU, you are the boss!!! Let's hope all our efforts bring some interesting information."_

After some rounds of irrelevant questions, it was Lisa's turn again and she directed her gaze to Suzie.

"_Ok, Suzie. Got one for you. Have you ever... __gotten drunk?"_

"_Oh, Christ! This is embarrassing!"_ Suzie blushed while the two other girls in Moze's living room and their unininvited guests waited open-mouthed for a longer explanation. _"It was last summer. I was at the wedding of some distant relative, completely bored, when my cousin Kate,_ _you know, the one who taught me this game, proposed something. We'd 'borrow' a couple of bottles of wine and go somewhere else to drink together. We also recruited two other young relatives who were looking just about to die of tedium. I thought it could be fine, 'cos the rest wanted to do it and I was curious. Well: it wasn't my best idea ever. I felt sick, I tripped and nearly fell over in the middle of the dance floor, my parents obviously realised I had been drinking, so I got grounded for a month and I spent the most horrible two days of my life suffering a tremenduous hangover."_ Suzie finished her story and blushed slightly. _"I can't believe I've told this to anyone."_

"_Good influence your cousin Kate, huh?"_ Lisa joked.

Suzie seemed to relax then, and directed her attention to Cookie's girlfriend with a naughty smile:

"_So my turn, my question. No mercy for you, Lisa Zemo... How far have you actually gone with Cookie?"_

Lisa's nervous reaction had an exact replica in Cookie's. The silence was absolute in both rooms.

"_C'mon, Lisa, it's no big deal! If you tell about Cookie and you, I'll tell about Ned and I."_

Ned's sniggering disappeared inmediately after his girlfriend's big idea. Lisa's voice was trembling a bit when she started:

"_Well, it's not like I have too many things to say 'bout it."_ She blushed. _"You know, I'm not particularly experienced and Cookie, he's not exactly... adventurous, so we are still in the French kissing-cuddling step. Some occasional touching above the clothes, at most."_

"THANKS GOD!!" Suzie exclaimed while the other girl's eyes turned to her_. "I was starting to think were the last prudish couple in our high school, probably on Earth." _

All the girls smiled in a relaxed way while Ned and Cookie couldn't help feeling all the blood in their bodies going directly to their cheeks and avoided looking each other in the eye for the moment. Suzie went on:

"_Nay, I'm serious now. It seems everybody at school does it and you're a weirdo if you don't. And, girls, after the drinking incident I decided I'd never again do something just because the others did it. And I'm_ _good with Ned the way we are now. When we are both ready, we'd do it and till then, as I promised to tell you about it, let's say we are not particularly advanced with respect to Cookie and Lisa. And Moze?"_

"_Yeah?"_ She answered with a nervous tone in her voice.

"_You're being real quiet. I know it's not my turn to ask, but c'mon, you get to answer this one too."_

Moze's face straightened at that question. Her relaxed expression was suddenly washed away.

"_Can't we just move on to a new question? It's my turn to ask. It's the rules, and the rules in a game are __important, right? I like rules, they are good and necessary and..."_

Suzie and Lisa exchanged a questioning look. Suzie spoke again:

"_Moze, if it's because you don't have much to tell, don't freak out. Haven't you heard us? It's not like we are the most experienced girls in the world, huh? And we know Loomer and you have just been going out for a couple of months."_ She winked at Jennifer. _"It's just a question, just sharing experiences with a couple of friends you've known for years. You know we would never tell anybody what we've been talking about today, right?"_ She was much more serious-looking now. Lisa nodded, and Suzie continued when she saw Moze's tense face. _"It's not like you HAVE TO or anything, I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. It's ok, we can move on to the following round, another game or whatever."_

Moze sighed.

"_Ok, I'll answer."_

"_Soo... how far have you gone with Billy Loomer?"_ Lisa and Suzie said with one voice.

Moze muttered something.

"_Eeeerrmmmhey."_

Suzie looked at Lisa. Lisa looked at Suzie. They both looked at the more and more flushed Moze.

"_Hey?"_ Suzie dared asking. _"Ok, now I'm lost! I can understand the traditional analogy with sports, like first base, second base, etc, but "hey?". Is that a new system, using greetings? What does it do? It goes from "hi" all the way to "good morning".?"_

Moze rolled her eyes and decided it was better not to procrastinate, 'cos she was gonna tell her friends in the end.

"_All the way, ok?"_

"_You mean...?"_ Lisa questioned

"_I mean ALL-THE-WAY. Oh, my God, Suzie, don't gimme that look."_

"_Which look?"_

"_The oh-you're-such-a-slut-but-cannot-tell-you-cos-you're-my-friend look."_

Suzie reacted soon enough.

"_No!! Moze, I don't, really, I..."_

Lisa went on:

"_None of us thinks that about you. Honest."_ Suzie nodded too, worried about upseting her friend. _"It's just a bit... surprising."_

"_Like unexpected__, you know? With Loomer and you having been together for only two months and all. But everybody has a different timing, I guess."_ Suzie tried to soothe things.

Moze smiled a faint smile.

"_In fact, we've been dating a bit longer."_

"_Really?"_ Lisa was surprised.

"_Like how long?"_ Suzie inquired.

Moze took a deep breath and directed her gaze to the floor.

"_Like... a year and a half"_

"_WHAT??!!"_ Suzie and Lisa shouted.

"_WHAT??!!"_ Ned said too, while Cookie was just about to choke on the pizza he was having.

**Not my finest piece of writing, this second chapter, but I needed it to get to the story of how Moze and Loomer got together, which will constitude chapter 3. Hope you're not disappointed by this one, next one will definitely be better. Promise!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I had actually planned to**** write more things in this chapter, but everything was longer on paper than it had been in my imagination. And I'm also anxious to know what you think. I've changed a little the writing style from chapter 1 and 2, and when Moze tells the story, instead of writing her monologue, there is an external narrator. I was trying to get the effect in which, instead of listening to the character tell something, you just see the story happening. All reviews are welcome!!**

"_Like... a year and a half"_

"_WHAT??!!"_ Suzie and Lisa shouted.

"_WHAT??!!"_ Ned said too, while Cookie was just about to choke on the pizza he was having.

"_Ermm" _Moze began to _explain "Do you remember that camping thing we did in the summer between 10__th__ and 11__th__ grade?"_

"_Everything started there?" _Suzie asked eagerly.

Moze just nodded.

"_Oh, my God. I can't believe it! But the whole class was there!! When? What? I mean, how on earth did you two managed not to get caught by anyone?"_

"_Well, it's actually easy to go unnoticed if there's someone else getting everybody's attention. Let's say Missy and her brand-new belly button ring."_

Moze wandered about the now silent and calm field. The rest of her schoolmates had been sleeping for a couple of hours, but that night she just couldn't do it. She was so hurt, so pissed off about Ned's attitude towards Missy. Not that she expected him to only have eyes for herself, or to remember the month they were going out as 13-year-olds as his only opportunity for happiness in life, but, but... Ok, she was not sure about what she expected from him, but she knew what she DIDN'T expect from Ned Bigby. He didn't expect him to follow around stupid-desperate-attention-seeker Missy. She didn't expect his brain rendered completely useless by a simpleton bimbo whose only conversation for the whole day had dealt with that stupid belly button ring she had got done. And, above all, she didn't expect him to play tonsil-hockey with good-for-nothing Missy in front of everybody. In front of her. She knew he was not in love with her, but she thought she was SOMETHING to him. That idea brought tears to her eyes. A masculine voice came from under a tree:

"_He doesn't want you."_

Moze almost jumped on her feet.

"_Thank you, Billy Loomer. For both your attempt to scare me to death and that lovely idea of yours that is so much helpful for my self__-steem."_

"_It's not like I was hiding or something, you were just so busy with your thoughts you didn't see me."_ He chuckled_. "I'm not saying he doesn't have feelings for you, I'm just saying he doesn't WANT you. There is a difference."_

Moze had walked towards Loomer. She sat next to him in the grass so that she could look him in the eye.

"_Enlighten me."_

"_You have an idealised idea of relationships, Jennifer Mosley__, too many fairy tales, I think." _ He let out a big smirk, while she began to rise to her feet.

"_I don't need you laughing at me, thank you very much." _She said with a defiant voice. Loomer took her hand before he spoke again:

"_Will you just let me finish? I cannot ENLIGHTEN you if you don't listen to the whole thing." _He blinked at her and Jennifer seemed to relax a little. She sat again next to him, so he went on _"in fairy tales, the story finishes with a chaste kiss in the lips. In real life that's just the begining. I mean, ok, you can find someone you like spending time with, but that's not enough. If it were, I'd marry Crony."_ She let out a smile. _"It's good to have things in common, but you also have to WANT that person. Like physically want. To have that feeling burning inside you, there's no mistaking that one for anything else. And Ned doesn't WANT you. He likes being with you and, yeah, he has feelings for you 'cos you're his friend, but he doesn't WANT you."_

Moze was wordless. She had know Loomer for years and she had never heard him talk that much.

"_So... that's what you think?"_

"_Nah, there's something else I think about your problem. I think you don't WANT him either. You like the platonic idea of being his girlfriend and all, but there's nothing, like absolutely nothing physical."_

She couln't remember feeling that indignant. Ever in her whole life.

"_So now you know my feelings better than I do, huh? How dare you__, Billy Lmmmmpffffffffffff"_

_(So here you are, Moze. Lying in the grass at three in the morning, being kissed by the school bully. Scratch that. Being FRENCH-kissed by the school bully. This is so stereotypical. But oooooh, feels so good. Need to stop thinking reasons why I shouldn't be doing it. And seriously need to close my eyes, because if I go on feeling this with all my senses, I think I'm gonna explode soon. Suddenly the whole world__ for me is the smell of leather from his jacket, the brush of his lips against mine and my neck, the touch of his hands in my hair, my waist, my hips. I realise he was right: it's kind of a burning thing. And I also realise I'm experiencing something completely new: not being in control.) _

Right then, she felt overwhelmed by her emotions. She could easily be carried by them. Right then, she would do anything, like ANYTHING, for that burning thing. She got scared, even more when she snapped her eyes open and saw her hands had been roaming on their own; one was caressing his hair and the other had gone as far as his waist. Before he even had time to react, she was on her feet without a word, running to the tent where her friends were sleeping. Loomer was left alone and confused. But soon enough he rested his back on the tree and chuckled again: _"This is gonna take long."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Know what? I'm a big, fat liar. Not that I **** had it planned or anything. I've just been stuck with the last part of Moze and Loomer's story for a couple of days, so I decided I'll post what I already have (which is not too short, I hope), and I'll try working again in the end of the story in a couple of days. Hope you enjoy it and don't find too many mistakes. Cheers!!**

At least, Moze thought, she had managed to avoid him during most of the day. If she made a big effort, she could even imagine it had been just a dream. But then again, when she was in the middle of some chit-chat with Suzie, he happened to walk past them. Their eyes met for a split second and she could almost feel again the weight of his body against hers, the smell of his jacket and the heat in her swollen lips. Inevitably, she lost track of the conversation and, thanks God, Suzie put the blame on her lack of sleep.

The rest of the evening didn't help Moze's general mood. Missy decided she wanted some more protagonism when they were all sitting around the bonfire. No, the girl couldn't limit herself to telling ghost stories as had been agreed... NO. She considered that something for children, so she decided it was a much better idea to talk about her favourite topic: Missy Meany. Moze's first wish consisted on spitting at her. Two stories about the manteinance of her hair and one about the best and most expensive possible way to get sculpted nails later, Moze wanted plainly to kill her.

Later that night, she was again walking alone, incapable of sleeping. What did everybody find so great about that Barbie wannabe? She couldn't think of anything. Well, the girl was beautiful, she had to admit, and even her friends liked her nowadays, so maybe there was something wrong with her. Like, she might be envious of Missy or something. She was mad at herself for that very thought and would never confess it to anyone, but, yeah, even if she had always been proud of the way she was, she was feeling somehow insecure those days.

Moze had to repress a gasp when she realised her wanderings had left her precisely in front of THAT tree.

"_Jennifer",_ he whispered in her ear.

She closed her eyes. Couldn't blame him for searching her in the middle of the night. It was not like he'd needed to kidnap her from her sleeping bag. She, though half-unconsciously, had done the same. That night she allowed herself to stop thinking everything over, just to relax and enjoy the feelings. Soon, they were lost again in a whirl of hungry kisses and clumsy, inexperienced caresses. Moze went inmediately back to conscience when he moved slightly to the side and she felt his left hand slipping under her T-shirt.

_(Oh, godgodgodgodgod, this is going too fast, nice and pleasant and everything, but should be going a bit slower. __Oh, yeah, Moze, you should tell that to the guy you repeatedly make out with, but is not your boyfriend and you barely talk to. I should, like, try to make Loomer... erm... relax a little without offending him or something. Oh, great, he suspects, has stopped the kissing altogether and looks me right in the eye.)_

Loomer smiled at Moze and directed his gaze to the recently bared skin under his hand. She could feel herself trembling in the inside while his finger started tracing circles around her belly button.

"_It's beautiful"_ he regained eye contact with her, not stopping his caress, _"no need for stupid holes in it."_ Moze felt her cheeks starting to redden and bit her lip. His hand travelled to that very spot of her face as he went on talking_ "and your lips are, and your eyes, too."_ He tangled his hand in her long hair_ "and the way you hair looks right now, and the way it looks tied in a ponytail when you're in the middle of a game. You're beautiful, Jennifer, not pretty, like girls who spend half of their lifes looking at a mirror trying to look their best. You're just beautiful, in every single way I can think of, and I hate it that you don't see it."_

He started to kiss her in such a tender way she could have never imagined from him. And there were hugs, and smiles, and that time she did say goodbye to him before parting to her tent.

The following morning, she packed everything back in her bag, incapable of stopping the beam of joy in her face.

"_Wow, girl!! What happened to you? You're kinda glowing today!" _Suzie asked Moze.

"_I just had very nice dreams last night",_ Moze answered with a big smile while hurring for their last camping breakfast together_. "C'mon, Suzie, or you'll miss it!"_

Ned was entusiastically telling his friend about the improvements he was preparing on the guide for 11th grade when Loomer and his gang appeared into sight.

"_Morning, Jennifer."_

She couldn't avoid grinning like a fool.

"_Morning, Loomer_", she greeted him back, with her eyes fixed on her own shoes.

As soon as he left, Ned ruined her greatest breakfast moment ever.

"_When__ is he going to understand you're way too much for him?"_

"_WHAT!?"_

"_Moze, you know it, he's always had this big crush on you. If I were you, I'd be a little more... cutting to him. Just to make sure he understood the message."_

"_If you were ME?"_

"_Well, not that I'd like to be a girl. Errmm, maybe it'd be nice just for one day, to know what it feels like."_ Moze was looking at him between angry and puzzled. _"That's... that's not the thing anyway, my point was that you should make sure he knows he's too rough, it's obvious he'd hurt you and I don't want you to get hurt." _

He put a hand on her shoulder, waiting for her approval, but she shook it from there. Ned frowned.

"_Did I say anything wrong?"_

"_I'm just feeling a bit sick today, that's all. I'm sorry, I'd prefer if you told me about your guide and everything tomorrow or another day" _She rushed back to her now empty tent.

_(Look who talks about hurting me!!__ The guy has some nerve... If I hadn't left, I swear I could've punched him. But, well, it's true that Loomer has this tendency to kick Ned's ass as often as possible, which explains why he thinks he's a brute and no good for me. Oh, Ned would think something different if he had seen us last night.)_

The idea about her friends knowing about what had happened the two previous nights suddenly started to make her nervous. What'd they think? Would they accept it? Loomer wasn't even her boyfriend and they had been making out quite passionately in the last two nights. Was she a slut? She felt the blush in her face and something like shame or embarrasment. Inmediately, she remembered Loomer's words and she felt ashamed of having been ashamed. Her mind was a mess by the time the bus towards home arrived to the camping and, thanks to her recently acquired pseudo-sickness, she managed to spend the whole journey avoiding to speak to anyone, just pretending to sleep.

**Two months later**

"_So, Moze, as you're tu__toring some student, I've thought you could write something for the guide about that."_

"_Ned!" _ she laughed _"I haven't even started with the tutoring program yet! But today I'm doing it, so I'll let you know if I can find some good advice."_

"_You already know who you're tutoring?"_

"_Nah, just that it's a guy, I have to help him with algebra and we need to do it in his house 'cos he's got a younger sister he has to take care of."_

"_Maybe there's no younger sister, and he's actually some psychopath who wants to have you cornered in his sofa..." _Ned said with his special voice for telling ghost stories.

"_Ha.Ha. You're so funny, Ned Bigby, you should stop writing guides and start a career as a stand-up comedian."_ Moze stuck out her tongue to him and left.

**Later that afternoon...**

Moze took a deep breath before knocking. She made sure she had everything ready: her algebra book, her notebook, her cell phone just in case he WAS a psychopath. The moment she raised her hand, the door opened. There he was, leaning on the doorframe, as cocky as one can get.

"_YOU!!!??"_

"_Me!"_ said Billy Loomer with his biggest grin.

"_I can't believe you. I've entered the tutoring program 'cos I wanted to help people and now you... you... you..." _she pointed at him accusingly.

"_Now I need help 'cos I'm getting catastrophic marks in algebra and Miss Green's told me either I got a tutor or I'd fail. So nice to see you, Jennifer, thank you for your help, now you can come in." _

Moze sighed. She could do it. She was so over what happened at the camp. The unexpected holidays in New York her parents had prepared when she arrived home were a distraction she welcomed. And then, when she started school again, she couln't avoid seeing Loomer the way he'd always been: a bully who did not respect anybody else. First slap on Coconut Head's neck and Prince Charming was completely gone. He'd tried to come near her since the begining of the year, but she managed to avoid him. That's why she felt so suspiciuos about his sudden need for a tutor. Well, it was true the guy had never been the sharpest knife in the drawer in anything related to Maths and she had the resolution to help somebody, so why not him? But she still have some doubt.

- _" You don't have a sister, do you? You just wanted to play in home ground,"_ she shot.

_- "Wooow, so much __ more self-steem there than last time I checked, Moseley! My sister's watching TV right there"_ he pointed to a small hump on the sofa with a blanket covering it. His voice changed to a sweeter tone when he talked to the child. _"C'mon, Molly, time to get some sleep at your bed."_ He gently took her in his arms.

- _"Owwwn, I'm feeling better, Billy, just lemme watch a little bit more TV. Just a little, Billy, pleaaaase, pleeeeeeeeeeaaase, pleaseplease,pleaseeeeee..."_ She pouted.

- _"You were ALREADY taking a nap, you don't even know what you were watching, little one!" _ He kissed her forehead. _"Let's sleep for a while and when you get better, I'll watch with you anything you like."_

- _"Mmm... even Princess Barbie?",_ she laughed.

_- "Again??"_ Billy complained, and rolled his eyes. _"Ok, whatever, just be good and sleep for a while."_

Moze smiled to herself. She was enjoying every bit of it. When he was half way up the stairs towards his sister's room, he stopped.

"_And Jennifer?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Molly's sick today, but I guess by next tutoring session she should be fine and enjoying her karate lessons, so we can meet in NEUTRAL ground, if that makes you feel better." _

She didn't know if he was serious or joking, but she couldn't avoid blushing from head to toe. How could she...? Oh, crap, now he obviously thought she was the most self-centered person ever, or stupid... or both things. Fortunately, when he got back to the living room, they went directly to algebra. After a while, she had to admit he had proved to be quite clever. Like, it was obvious he needed to be explained the basics, because he was never paying attention in class, but once they got started, he was a quick and efficent learner.

"_Wow!"_ She smiled _"we are almost finished for today and it's barely been an hour!"_

"_That's 'cos I got myself the best teacher"_ Loomer moved closer to her and when their lips were almost touching, she moved.

"_I... I think it's better if we stick to studying together. I'm you tutor, you're my pupil, we do algebra, I teach, you learn, you pass, we're done. Deal?"_

"_I guess yeah, deal..."_ he said with a sad tone.

In a titanic effort of self-restraint, ten minutes later they were... well, they were making out again. Loomer decided he adored algebra and Jennifer put the blame on incontrolable hormones and Loomer being too cute with his sister.

- _"Mmm, Jen, do you still want that second tutoring session in neutral ground?"_

"_Erm... It's allright__ in here. You know, Molly might not be ok yet, so..."_


	5. Chapter 5

**What can I do? Billy Loomer keeps whispering interesting things about himself**** everytime I start writing, making this longer than I thought I'd be at first. So here you can find almost everything what happens in their relationship except one last scene I'm saving for the following chapter, which I promise will FINALLY be the last one. I'd really like to thank my reviewers for their comments and support. I couldn't have done this without them!!**

* * *

**Loomer's house. Last weeks of 11th grade**

She bit her lower lip while her finger traced the lines in his abdominals. He was breathing heavily and couldn't stop himself from noting how focused she seemed on such a task. She was the best thing he'd ever had in his life. Probably best thing he would ever have. He wondered when Moze would realise she was way too good for him. Loomer didn't allow his tears to come out. He clasped her hips and, a second later, he was the one pining her to the sofa, devouring her with his anxious kisses. Moze giggled.

"_You just couldn't wait one more second, huh?"_

"_Never mind",_ he whispered as he started nipping her ear_, "it's gonna be worth the interrumpt... Oh, crap!!!"_ He jumped from the sofa. _"Put your shirt back on!!"_

"_Excuse me?!"_ Moze did sound annoyed.

"_Put.Your.Shirt.Back.On. I can see t__here's someone approaching the door."_ He pointed to a bevel window in the entrace.

They were inmensely relieved when they heard the bell. At least, it was not Billy's dad and sister on a surprise arrival. Moze opened her mouth to say something, but she finally decided against it with a wicked smile.

As Loomer closed the door, he sighed.

"_I had never been so happy to see a Jehovah's witness in my life. These ones were not specially insistant, though."_

"_Maybe they thought you were one of those bad, bad boys who enjoy their sins..."_ she teased, looking him directly in the eye.

_(Whoa!_ Loomer thought. _(Where is the girl who used to blush about everything?)_

He walked even closer to her and continued the game with his most innocent voice and smile.

"_And why would they think that?"_

"_Maybe they noted how long it took you to open the door and then maybe, just maybe..." _Moze caught him by surprise grabbing his ass _"they saw your t-shirt was inside out."_ She laughed while he hugged her tight just 'cos there were some things he was just not ready to admit before anyone, let alone Jennifer.

_(Great, I am the one blushing now. Billy Loomer blushing, for God's sake!! If anyone gets to know this, my bad reputation will die forever.)_

Moze stilled in his arms.

"_Errm, Billy, it's not that I don't enjoy it or something, you know I do, but I've been thinking 'bout it lately and what happened today was just the last straw. We need to stop this."_

"_We need to stop this?"_ Loomer could only repeat her last words while he felt his heart was breaking into thousands of pieces.

"_Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious. We need to stop this shirtless kissing and cuddling thing in your sofa. If it had been your dad and sister today, they'd have been inside the house even before we had time to put something on. And I think Molly hates me enough right now, even though she thinks I'm only your tutor."_

He let out a relieved smile as soon as he heard she didn't want to quit their relationship and allowed himself to joke a bit with Jennifer.

"_Molly thinks you're only my tutor?" _

"_Have you told her 'bout us?"_ she asked timidly.

"_Kids are clever."_ He kissed her forehead lovingly. _"Specially 6-year-old girls who are used to getting all the attention from their elder brothers."_

On the very last day of 11th grade, Moze and Loomer were called to the principal office. They exchanged nervous looks when they realised Miss Green was inside the office, too.

"_You both, come in and take a seat, please..."_ the principal said.

"_I imagine you're wondering why you're here"_ Miss Green added with a soothing smile.

They just nodded.

"_Well, __I've informed the principal about your pairing as tutor and student. As a result of this, Billy's grades have improved dramatically. Not only in algebra, but also in the rest of subjects."_

The principal continued.

"_You are the proof that the tutoring system can actually make a difference. We are happy to congratulate you, Jennifer, for your very helpful guidance as a tutor, and you, Billy, for your __perseverance and extremely hard work."_ He handed Loomer the piece of paper that contained his grades. He read them still nervous.

"_And remember"_ Miss Green pointed out _"that next year will be harder. Now we know what you're capable of, the teachers won't be happy with just enough to pass."_

As soon as they were out of the office, Loomer couldn't stop himself from hugging her.

"_A B!! I've got a B in Algebra!!! I don't think I'd ever gotten a B ever since Primary school!!!" _

When she stilled in his arms, he realised they were in the middle of the school corridor and he was probably making her feel uncomfortable. Once again, he had to remind himself they were NOTHING but classmates in the eyes of everybody else. He let go of her awkwardly and started walking in the opposite direction.

"_I mean... thank you, Jennifer, for your help with Math, Algebra or whatever." _

Moze watched as he recovered his cocky poss and smacked a poor student's head into his own locker. As he made his way to his friends, she felt the most horrible and meaniest person on earth. Above all, 'cos she knew he was not really angry with her, he would treat her nicely that very afternoon. She hurt him and he wouln't do a thing. She was definitely horrible, she said to herself.

The moment they put a foot on his house, he was playfully pressing her between the door and his body.

"_Today we have things to celebrate",_ he whispered_, "and there's a way to avoid inconvenient interrumptions."_

"_I'm all ears."_

To her surprise, he started humming:

"_I've got a lock in the door of my room..."_

She didn't even have time to laugh before a slightly higher hum following the same tone came from the kitchen.

"_And you've got your father at home, ruining your plans for the evening..."_

As the man got out of the kitchen, Billy turned as red as a beetroot. His dad looked at Moze, Moze looked back at him and they both burst out laughing. Still with a big smile, Loomer's dad addressed him.

"_So I take it that either study methods had changed a lot lately, or this girl is your girlfriend apart from your tutor."_

Moze could see he was feeling uncomfortable with that question after the corridor incident that day, so she talked before he had the opportunity to.

"_Yes! It's nice to meet you..."_

"_John."_

John Loomer proved to be a good conversationalist. He told them the story of how there had been some damage in the pipes in his office and they all had to get home before lunch because their workplace looked like The Flood had just happened there. Then, they told him about Billy's marks and how their tutoring sessions had gone from Moze teaching him to just doing homework or studying together everyday.

He was joking about their relationship when their neighbour knocked at the door. He was in charge of picking up Molly and his son from karate lessons that week. John invited Moze to stay for dinner with them to Molly's obvious discontent. She spent half of the dinner trying to pick on Moze, and the other half being told off by either John or Billy. After dinner, Moze and Loomer were alone in the porch.

"_She's not normally like that. You shouldn't judge her by what you saw today."_

"_Molly hates me with a passion, doesn't she?"_

"_Not really" _Billy looked at her incredulous expression_. "She just doesn't like women."_

"_God, that's bad. Specially 'cos she's one!"_

Loomer tried to find the words.

"_It's more like she feels uncomfortable. That'__s why we started sending her to karate lessons."_

"_To karate lessons? So what? She would be able to kick any girl's ass if she felt like it?"_ Moze was clueless.

Billy laughed.

_"Not really. In fact, we started sending her to ballet lessons, because her teacher in kinder garten was worried about Molly never bonding with other girls. All her friends were boys and the teacher suggested maybe some hobby in which she could enjoy other girls company would be a good idea. You know, she was not a normal case of a little girl who just thought boys' games were funnier. We were afraid she would suffer some trauma because of what happened with mom." _He smiled to Moze, seeing she looked serious. _"But ballet proved to include too many girls for Molly's taste. I'll save you the details, but there were some seriously angry moms trying to kill me when I went to pick her up after her second lesson. So we tried karate, where there are boys and girls."_

_"Is she doing any better?"_ Moze asked shyly.

_

* * *

_

Moze bit her lip, unsure of how Loomer would react to her question.

"_Is it true? That your mom abandoned you three?"_

Loomer looked puzzled. Then he remembered what he once said in his beginings in James Polk Middle School. They had just moved to town and he didn't feel like talking 'bout it, so when for some reason somebody asked him about his mom, he said she was not with them. So that's what they all thought... good to know. He was not one to listen to rumours, so he had not really paid more attention to whatever was said about him till Moze asked him that.

"_Not exactly."_ His face was tense and she could see that was a very hard thing for him to talk about_. "She's actually dead."_ He didn't want to look at her in the eye.

She hugged him.

"_I'm so sorry, Billy, I didn't know." _

Moze had expected that to be the end of the conversation. She wouldn't ask one more thing if he decided to shut up, but for the first time in his life, he felt like telling that to someone.

"_She died six years ago."_

"_Oh, my God, she died in Molly's birth!"_ Moze thought she was starting to understand many things.

He stared at her with those inmensely sad blue eyes.

"_Have you ever heard about postnatal depression?"_ Moze nodded, almost trembling. _"Well, that's basically what happened when Molly was born. Mom... she"_ he took a deep _breath "she couldn't get over it. She seemed a different person and only a week after their arrival from the hospital, she slashed her wrists." _

Moze hugged him tightly. She couldn't even dare imagining how hard it had been for him. There were no words. There was nothing she could say to make it better. She felt simply impotent and hugging him was all she could do. Loomer kissed the top of her head. He felt somehow more peaceful than he had been in years.

"_Not you'd better let go of me a little bit or Molly could see you from her window and decide to practice her new kicks on you"_, he joked.

Moze laughed lightheartly at the idea.

"_I guess I'll have to keep the security distance."_

"_She will like you"_, he was serious again. _"Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Awwwwwwww, this is the end. I really hope you all enjoyed reading the story as much as I did writing it and reading your reviews.**

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Moze marched on her way to her first volleyball match in 12th grade. Her very first game as captain of the female team. Sometimes going back to highschool, a little bit of routine and monotony was good. Specially after the bittersweet summer she had gone through. The divorce of her parents caught her by surprise. It was true they had never been the Bradys, but still things seemed so much better between them after their trip to New York the previous summer. They didn't fight anymore and Jennifer wanted to think it was because there were no more conflicts. In fact, it just meant they had became indiferent to each other. For some reason, she didn't look for shelter in any of her friends, only in Billy. She'd get to this house and spend hours crying, they'd watch a movie together, or she'd bury her head in his chest and spend the whole evening in silence. Maybe that's why she chose to go through this with him. Ned, Suzie, Cookie, Lisa, they'd all help her, but they'd make her talk 'bout it 'cos they supposed that way she'd let it out of her system. But words wouln't make her feel better. Billy would be there for her if she wanted to talk, to cry, or to joke. He'd never ask her 'cos he knew for a fact words were only a cure when you had the right moment and the right person listening to you.

_(Hey!)_ , she smiled to herself (_I even got Molly to like me... well, more or less.)_

She could almost see them right there. Molly, blonde little thing with inmense blue eyes, sitting in a chair, making faces to the mirror she'd brought to the living room. Billy, behind her, looking more concentrated than she'd ever seen him, combing her hair in a ponytail. He'd be extremely careful not to pull a single lock. Moze thought she was going to melt right then, right there. God, she thought she was going to melt just by remembering it. They were arguing about her wanting to get braids done for her birthday party. Loomer told her that was for prissy girls and got the biggest pout ever as an answer. Moze inmediately knew in fact he didn't know how to do them. It was obvious. He'd never deny something like that to Molly, but he didn't want her to know he couldn't to them. So that was when she decided to take part in the conversation.

"_Maybe Billy doesn't really have much practice in combing hair in braids and he's afraid he'd hurt you. Maybe he could practic__e with me today. I don't mind if he pulls my hair a couple of times."_ She winked at him

From her succesfully combed braids in her birthday party onwards, Molly started to be more friendly to Moze. She still sat in between them both when she saw them in the sofa, and she'd still be all moody if they kissed in front of her, but there was definitely some progress going on.

* * *

She was the first one in arriving to the changing room. She had just finished getting dressed when the majority of the other girls arrived with the sound of giggling and lots of talking. It was a bit higher than average, if you asked Moze, so she knew for a fact there was something juicy going on. She didn't even need to ask. Kate, funniest and sassiest girl in the team addressed her.

"_Moze, we've got faith in you being a great source of information 'bout this."_

"_Me!?"_ Moze was actually more surprised than annoyed at being considered a source of gossip material. She'd always be the last one knowing 'bout everything.

"_Yeah! Is it true what they say about Loomer?"_

Her eyes opened as wide as they'd get.

_(Oh.God.God.God. They all know. Like ALL of them. My friends are going to know we are together by rumours instead of me telling them. Ok, they're going to be mad at me and I deserve it. I should've stopped keeping it secret a long time ago. Ok, Earth to Moze: you need to recover your capacity of speaking)_

"_Errrm, yea... ermmm... huh... What do they say 'bout Loomer?"_

"_Haven't you heard?"_

Moze shook her head.

"_They say he's gay!"_

"_WHAT!!!!?????"_ Moze couldn't get any louder.

"_I said the same when they told me. Isn't it a pity? I've always thought he's such a hot guy"_ Ann shouted from her locker.

"_I know!!! He's gorgeous, just imagine yourself enjoying that fine chest of his."_ Rose added.

"_Who the FUCK said he's gay?"_ Moze wasn't ready to let the conversation change till she knew everything.

_(note to myself: add Ann and Rose to my blacklist.)_

"_Missy"_ Kate continued with her task of informing Jennifer.

"_So Loomer told Missy he was gay?"_ Moze asked. The thing was reaching new levels of surrealism.

"_Of course he didn't!! But she's been trying to date him for a while and he's rejected her several times."_

"_Well, maybe he doesn't LIKE HER!!!"_

"_He doesn't like MISSY?? Missy Meany? Missy-one-day-she's-gonna-drown-because-of-boys-drooling-over-her?"_

"_Maybe he's dating another girl!!"_

"_Have you EVER seen him dating another girl?"_

"_Erm..." _

"_That's exactly what I meant." _Kate finished.

"_And all that anger which results in bullying other students could have its root__s in his problems to accept his homosexuality."_ Mandy added.

_(notes to myself: 1. underline in lurid yellow Missy's name in my blacklist. __2. tell Mandy her instinct as psychologist is useless. She should consider taking a different degree next year.)_

Moze rolled her eyes.

"_You've known him since Middle School, so we thought you could tell us something else."_ Kate questioned.

"_Ok. In case he was actually gay, which he isn't, it wouldn't be anything wrong or shameful, and you shouldn't be gossiping 'bout it."_

"_We know, we know. So you also think he's gay, huh?" _

That Kate girl was starting to unnerve Moze.

"_Are you even listening to me? He's NOT!"_

Kate opened her mouth again, but she didn't even have the oportunity to speak. The team was called for the start of the game.

Moze tried not to lose her focus on volleyball, but she couln't stop herself from stealing a glance every now and then to the place she knew he was sitting. How could she be so selfish? It was obvious there was something bothering him lately, but she'd thought everything was about starting classes again. He had comforted her when she was having problems. He had always been there for her. He had never asked her for anything she was not ready to give or say. He made her feel beautiful, and wanted. He had opened the doors of his house to her. He had let her know things about himself he had never told anyone. He had even let her get to know Molly, who was the biggest treasure he had in his life. And he had never, NEVER asked something in return, not anymore than she was willing to give, whenever she wanted to do it. And when she thought that, she made herself feel sick. She felt she didn't deserve Loomer, because he was way, way too good for her. Moze had a hard time trying not to lose concentration, but she got to play a good game. That was the first mission she had assigned herself for that evening, and the second one was coming inmediately after.

The team had just won. The players walked slowly from the court towards the changing rooms, greeting their friends and relatives on the stands. Moze had her sights set on someone. She walked till she was just in front of him and planted a big kiss on Loomer's lips. Crony, in the seat next to his, was so surprised he almost fell to the floor, and Jennifer had to stop herself from laughing. It wasn't the moment. She wanted to show him she had been stupid and thoughtless. That she thought keeping it secret was not funny anymore. She owed it to him.

"_Errm... Billy, would you mind going for a drink before the movies today?",_ she asked nervously, knowing there were lots of eyes fixed on them at that very moment.

"_Huh... Yeah. I mean, no, NO... I don't mind, we can go to... erm... anywhere you'd like, Jennifer"_ That moment he also noticed everybody was staring and them, and he actually tried his best to recover his cocky poss.

_(Now),_ Jennifer thought_, (I NEED to leave before I really start laughing after this sudden change from teddy bear to badass.)_

Before she hit the showers, she remembered she had a third mission in mind. She walked straight to where the cheerleaders were and grabbed Missy's arm with all the strenght she had left in her body.

"_You ever, EVER, try to put a hand on my boyfriend again and I'll make you eat those fake nails you're wearing."_

Then, just then, she felt she was done. Time to have a good shower.

**

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**

The girls burst out laughing. Moze's threat to Missy almost made Suzie choke on the coke she was drinking. They had heard 'bout the incident in that match, but it was so much funnier to listen to Moze's own explanation. The protagonist of the story took a deep breath.

"_And that was when it happened."_

"_When what happened?" _Lisa was starting to get lost in the story.

"_When I... when we, erm, you know, for the first time." _

"_Oooooooooooooooh!!!"_ Lisa understood.

"_Ahem"_ Suzie was looking all naughty_, "so you lost your virginity on the very first night after you got an official boyfriend. Now, Jennifer Moseley... YOU'RE SUCH A SLUT!!" _

Moze threw a pillow at her, with the three of them in hysterical laugh. And as much as Ned and Cookie would have welcomed a girly pillow fight some hours ago, that moment they were just too exhausted to watch anything else. Ned turned off the screen.

"_Well, at least someone had something to say on the S-word department."_

Cookie nodded and they went to bed. After ten minutes, Ned needed to get something said:

"_And what the hell is so cute about a big boy combing his sister's hair? Did they need to go all 'oooooooooooooooowwww' when Moze told them about it? Cookie? COOKIE????" _

A deep and noisy snore was the only answer he got. It had been a long and hard night.

**

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**

**I never planned on writing this last bit, it just sort of popped up in my head when I thought the story was already finished and I was reading the reviews I had till now. So this last foofy part goes to daisy617, who's been patient enough to submit a**** flattering review for every single chapter and said she was gonna miss the story when it finished. I never, and I mean NEVER expected as many hits (770 the moment I'm writing this) and reviews with my very first fanfiction story. THANKS SO MUCH TO YOU ALL.**

They were in Billy's bed, facing each other. He was looking at her so intensely she was afraid she was gonna forget she had to breathe. Loomer cleared his throat:

"_Did I hurt you?"_ he whispered.

Moze shook her head.

"_Just a little in the begining. But then"_ she bit her lip "then it was good for me."

He smiled in a relaxed way. He didn't smirk. He didn't grin. He SMILED, with all his face, with those wonderful eyes of him.

"_It was good for me too."_

"_I love you, Billy Loomer."_

"_I love you, Jennifer Moseley."_


End file.
